Which lectionary does the Episcopal Church use?
Robert Miller
Published Mar 10, 2026
Which lectionary does the Episcopal Church use?
The Episcopal Church officially adopted the RCL as its Sunday lectionary in 2006. The ACNA’s Daily Office Lectionary just underwent its latest and (hopefully) final revision in November 2018. It is now published in the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer.
What is a lectionary year?
The one-year Jewish lectionary reads the entirety of the Torah within the space of a year and may have begun in the Babylonian Jewish community; the three-year Jewish lectionary seems to trace its origin to the Jewish community in and around the Holy Land.
How many lectionary years are there?
three
The Sunday cycle is divided into three liturgical years, labeled A, B, and C. Each Sunday usually has a reading from the Old Testament, a semicontinuous reading from one of the epistles, and a Gospel reading.
What season of the liturgical year are we in now?
Advent
Advent. The season of Advent begins the liturgical year. This year, Advent begins on November 28, 2021 and ends on December 24, 2021, Christmas eve.
Does the Episcopal Church use the Revised Common Lectionary?
Over the year there have been different versions of lectionaries (see below for history) and today we use the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for the Episcopal Church. Each Sunday, there are readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and the Gospels.
How old is the lectionary?
The Common Lectionary was first used on a trial basis by a number of Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, and was officially adopted by the Anglican Church of Canada in 1985. Yet it also received a number of criticisms, directed especially from Lutheran, Episcopal and Roman Catholic sources.
How does the lectionary work?
The major principle behind the lectionary is that on a Sunday members of congregations should be able to hear the voice of each writer week by week, rather than readings being selected according to a theme. Thus, in any given year the writer of one of the first three gospels will be heard from beginning to end.
What does proper mean in lectionary?
The proper (Latin: proprium) is a part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date, either representing an observance within the liturgical year, or of a particular saint or significant event. Propers may include hymns and prayers in the canonical hours and in the Eucharist.
How much of the Bible does the lectionary cover?
I bet if you ask around you’ll hear that many Catholics think the lectionary includes the whole Bible. To be fair, these numbers do get a bit higher if you include the complete lectionary (with weekdays). The total coverage of the Old Testament is ~14% (again excluding Psalms) and for the New Testament it is ~72%.
Is the liturgical calendar the same as the calendar year Why?
The liturgical color is purple to symbolize penace. The calendar year only has the regular four seasons, twelve months and 365 days. It has holidays and commemorative days but none compare to the special seasons that occur during Liturgical time.
When did the Episcopal Church adopt the revised common lectionary?
1992
A Brief History of the Lectionary in the Episcopal Church After trial use, the Revised Common Lectionary was published in 1992, after taking into account constructive criticism and feedback.
When was the lectionary revised?
After trial use, the Revised Common Lectionary was published in 1992, after taking into account constructive criticism and feedback.
What to expect in an Episcopal Church?
What to expect at an Episcopal Church. Sunday is traditionally when Episcopalians gather for worship. The principal weekly worship service is the Holy Eucharist, also known as: the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or Mass. In most Episcopal churches, worship is accompanied by the singing of hymns, and in some churches, much of the service is sung.
What do Episcopalians believe?
Episcopalians believe that prayer is responding to God by thought and by deeds, with or without words. Episcopalians believe that prayer is deeply personal. Although prayer is unique to each person, a shared faith in Christ expressed through liturgical worship is also an essential component of the Christian life.
What is the purpose of a lectionary?
The lectionary is a pre-selected collection of scriptural readings from the Bible that can be used for worship, study or other theological uses.
Is the Episcopal Church part of the Catholic Church?
The Episcopal Church is part of Christ’s “one holy catholic and apostolic” church. “Episcopal” means we are governed by bishops and organized into dioceses.